


Twisted Destiny (CURRENTLY ON HOLD)

by TheCartoonAddict927



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alcohol, Character Death, Dragonborn (Elder Scrolls), Dragons, Drama, Elder Scrolls - Freeform, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Family, Fantasy, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Frienship/love, Gen, Giants, Humor, M/M, Mages, Magic, Mild Language, Romance, Skyrim - Freeform, Thriller, Trolls, Vampires, Video & Computer Games, Violence, Werewolves, Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:46:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24901036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCartoonAddict927/pseuds/TheCartoonAddict927
Summary: After barely surviving an execution at Helgen, two unlikely friends get thrusted into the adventure of a lifetime.  One, a traveling Nord businessman with a quick wit and devilish grin.  The other, a shy Imperial woman who just got expelled from the College of Winterhold for holding a dark secret.  They soon find out that the land of Skyrim is in great peril and that the Nord is the great Dragonborn who can save them all.  The Nord struggles with his destiny while the girl still struggles with her secret knowing it could cost her her own life.  Will they be able to conquer their doubts and save the world?
Relationships: Aela The Huntress/Aerin, Aerin (Skyrim)/Mjoll the Lioness, Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Mjoll the Lioness, Male Dovahkiin/Mjoll the Lioness/Aerin, Mjoll the Lioness/Original Character(s), Original Male Character(s)/Mjoll the Lioness, Original Male Character(s)/Original Female Character(s), Scouts-Many-Marshes (Elder Scrolls)/Original Character(s), Scouts-Many-Marshes (Elder Scrolls)/Original Female Character(s), Scouts-Many-Marshes/Original Character(s), Scouts-Many-Marshes/Original Female Character(s)





	1. Chapter 1: The Dragon at Helgen

**Author's Note:**

> **A.N: Hello, everyone! Welcome to my very first Elder Scrolls story ever! I've had this story in the works for over a year now. I literally started writing this chapter a year ago. But I had major writer's block at the time and was so occupied with my other stories, that I found no interest in writing this one. But a few days ago, I started playing Skyrim again and it suddenly gave me the motivation to actually post this story. Before we begin, however, a few disclaimers first.  
>  1\. I do not own Skyrim or any of the Elder Scrolls games or their stories or characters (They all belong to Bethesda and I only own my characters)  
> 2\. In this story, some of the dialogue is going to be word-for-word from the game but a lot of it's going to be original too (Not so much a disclaimer, I just thought I'd put that out there)  
> and 3. I'm pretty well-versed in the lore of Skyrim and it's elements, but I have yet to finish Oblivion and I am unable to play Morrowind because it's so old it won't work for my Xbox and I don't do the online games either. So chances are I might get something wrong, and if I do, feel free to point it out and I'll fix it :) Constructive criticism is also allowed as long as you are nice about it ^^;  
> So, without further ado, enjoy the story! :D**

The morning was nice, but not even the bright warm sun could mask the frigid air. I sat there silent and still as a statue while the faint clip-clop sound of hooves echoed faintly breaking the everlasting silence. 

I squinted at the sun from under my cowl. Ever since I was nineteen I was rather...sensitive to sunlight. Not a big deal, really. 

I looked around at the other people who were riding in the large wagon with me. There were two fair-skinned blonde men dressed in heavy armor. It didn’t take a court wizard to know that they were Nords through and through. One sat stone-faced while the other had a gag over his mouth. There was also another man in a roughspun tunic and trousers. He looked terrified to be there. There was one more person beside me. It was another man; a Nord as well. He had a decent build and he looked pretty strong. But unlike the other Nords in the wagon, his skin was much rosier and his shoulder-length hair was a light auburn. He too wore a ratty tunic and trousers. He sat there unconscious. 

I recognized all of these people. They were there. At the border. They were all there with me when...we were attacked. Imperial guards surprised us with an ambush and surrounded us in an instant. The next thing we knew, we were being hauled away in a wagon. A few other wagons also carrying prisoners that they captured in the ambush were riding either behind or in front of us. 

This was terrible. I wasn’t supposed to be there! I was innocent! I was just trying to get across the border so I could pay a visit to my friends and family back in Cyrodiil after being away for a few months, and then these guys attacked me! My heart has always remained loyal to the Empire, but this, this was just wrong. 

Suddenly the young man sitting beside me started to slowly wake up. He opened his icy blue eyes and warily looked around. 

“Ugh...What..What happened?” He asked us, despite being a Nord, his voice didn’t have that normal Nordic accent. 

The blonde Nord who was sitting across from him spoke up. “Hey you. You’re finally awake.” He then looked at me before looking back at the man. “You two were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there.” 

The other man spoke up. “Damn you, Stormcloaks. Skyrim was just fine until you came along. The Empire was nice and lazy.” He grumbled, he then tried to break free of his binds but to no avail. “If they haven’t been looking for you, I could’ve stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell…” Then he looked at the auburn-haired Nord and me. 

“You two...You’re just like me. We shouldn’t be here…” He said, “It’s these Stormcloaks the Empire wants. Not us.” 

“It’s true. I’m innocent. All I wanted was to get over the border.” I said slightly afraid, I then looked over to the man beside me. 

“Why were you trying to cross the border?” I asked him,

“I was coming back from Cyrodiil on business.” He replied, 

“Wow! What a coincidence! I was on my way to Cyrodiil.” I replied, 

The man smiled at me, “No kidding!” 

I nodded, flashing my semi-white teeth at him. 

“My name’s Nilson. But the people back home call me ‘Swift’.” He introduced himself, I could tell that his weren’t tied, he would have shaken my hand. 

“Why did they call you Swift?” The horse-thief asked, 

“Swift” smiled at him proudly, “Because I was the swiftest boy in town! I could run from the pub to the Jarl’s keep in five seconds flat.” 

I smiled sincerely, “That’s really cool! I’m Fina. Nice to meet you.” 

The blonde Nord beamed at us and then shot a dirty look at the horse-thief. “We’re all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief.” 

“What’s your name?” I asked curiously, 

He smiled weakly at me. “Ralof.” 

I then smiled over at the thief. “And you?” 

“L..Lokir.” He replied, 

“Shut up back there!” The Imperial guard driving the wagon snapped at us, 

Lokir looked over to the man sitting on my right side. The one who had a gag over his mouth. “What’s wrong with him, eh?” 

“Watch your tongue!” Ralof snapped, “You’re speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak! The true High King!”

I blinked once in surprise. “Ulfric Stormcloak? You mean, **_THE_ ** Ulfric Stormcloak? The same Ulfric Stormcloak that murdered Jarl Torygg of Solitude?” I spoke up, 

The blonde Nord smiled proudly. “That’s right, fair lass. The one and only.” 

I started to seethe with anger. “You...They were looking for you...You rebels are the reason that we’re all in this mess!” Being an Imperial, I was raised to love and support the Empire through and through. But then you all betrayed us. Ulfric is no king.” 

“You watch what you say, wench! You damned Imperials and your Empire were letting the future of Skyrim just sit there. We’re the best hope for Skyrim now!” He snapped, 

“I said, “SHUT UP”!” The guard yelled at us again, 

We all shut up. 

Lokir then looked at Ulfric surprised. “So you’re really Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You’re the leader of the rebellion! But if they’ve captured you...oh gods! Where are they taking us!?” 

Swift, Ralof, and I looked to see village gates up ahead. 

“...I don’t know where we’re going...But Sovngarde awaits…” The Stormcloak said grimly, 

I felt my blood run cold as my eyes widened from under my cowl. “Wait, we’re going to die!?”

Lokir started freaking out. “No! This can’t be happening! This isn’t happening!” 

Swift sighed helplessly, “Well...I guess it was bound to happen eventually…”

The three of us continued to look at the winding road ahead of us. The gates were getting closer and closer. 

“What village are you from, horse-thief?” Ralof asked, 

The horse-thief looked at him confused. “What? Why do you care!?” 

“...A Nord’s last thoughts should be of home…” The Stormcloak replied, 

Lokir hesitated before replying. “...Rorikstead...I’m from Rorikstead…”

Ralof smiled then looked at Swift. “What about you, my friend?” 

Swift hesitated as well. 

“...I’m from Riften…” He finally replied, 

I smiled at him again. “I’ve been to Riften. It’s a lovely city.” I said, 

Swift smiled back, “Thanks.”

I sighed. “As you already know, I’m actually not from here...I’m from Cyrodiil...I have some family there that I haven’t seen in a while, and I was heading back home to visit them...I was hoping I could be home by now...” I sighed again, “...Guess I’m not going to be filling my belly with mead and warm stew tonight…” 

“What brought you to Skyrim, Imperial?” Ralof asked me curiously,

“I came to study at the College of Winterhold…” I explained, “I know there’s not much left in that town, and I myself do not take too kindly to the cold...But it was worth it to come and possibly become a mage…” 

“So, why were you heading all the way back to Cyrodiil then?” Lokir asked me, 

I shrugged, “Eh, I got kicked out. They said that someone of ‘my kind’ wasn’t good for the college.” 

“Why?” Swift asked quirking a brow, “Plenty of Imperials attend the College of Winterhold...Why would they kick you out?” 

I hesitated to answer. Could I really tell them the truth about why I was expelled?

...Well...We were going to die anyway…

I started to speak. “Well...You see…”

“General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!” I heard one guard yell to the General, 

General Tullius replied, “Good. Let’s get this over with!”

Lokir began to freak out again. “Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh! Divines, please help me!”

Our wagon passed through the city gates where the General of the Imperial army sat tall and proud on his steed. 

Ralof snickered, “Look at him. General Tullius: The military governor! And it looks like the Thalmor’s with him! Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this!”

We continued to ride through the small town. After looking around for a moment, I instantly recognized where we were. 

“...This is…” I started,

“Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here…” Ralof said reflecting on the memory of his past love, 

“That’s very lovely.” I replied, 

“I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in.” Ralof continued, 

“You know, with the way this day has gone so far, I could really go for a drink. Who’s buying?” Swift joked, 

I elbowed him hard in the arm. He laughed and looked at me. “What? I was just trying to lighten the mood!” 

“Oh what’s the point!? We’re all going to die!” Lokir sobbed pitifully, 

Then Ralof spoke again. “It’s funny...as a boy, Imperial guards and walls made me feel safe…”

It was then that we noticed that the wagon was slowing down. 

“Why are we stopping?” Lokir asked Ralof, 

“Why do you think? The end of the line.” Ralof replied, 

The wagon stopped along with the others. 

“Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep the gods waiting.” Ralof told us, 

“Alright move it along!” One Imperial guard yelled, 

We all stood up and silently hopped out of the wagon one-by-one. Standing before us were two more Imperial guards. One holding a scroll and a quill pen, the other was dressed in heavier armor and looked like she could snap the bones of even the strongest brute in Skyrim. 

“When we call your name, you will step forward and go to the block! One at a time!” She yelled, 

Ralof snickered again. “The Empire loves their damn lists.” 

Swift lightly chuckled at this. I smirked. I’ll admit, it was actually a good little quip. 

“Ulfric Stormcloak: Jarl of Windhelm!” The man called out, 

Ulfric stepped forward. 

“Jarl Ulfric...It has been an honor, sir…” Ralof said miserably, 

“Shut up!” General Tullius snapped, 

Ulfric silently walked over to the chopping block. 

The man then moved on to the next name. 

“Ralof of Riverwood.” 

I looked at him with sympathy. “I apologize for yelling at you...Good luck.” 

Ralof smiled sincerely and went over to join his Jarl. 

They moved onto the next name. 

“Lokir of Rorikstead.” The man said, 

Lokir looked like he was going to faint. “What!? No! I’m not a rebel! You can’t do this!” He yelled, he then proceeded to do the dumbest thing anyone could have done in that moment…

...He ran.

“You’re not going to kill me!” He yelled tauntingly at them, 

“Archers!” The female guard yelled, 

One archer took out his bow and a single arrow. He pulled the arrow back and aimed it at Lokir. He released the arrow and sent it flying right into Lokir’s back. 

Lokir instantly fell to the ground dead. 

I gasped in slight horror and buried my face in Swift’s shoulder. 

“Anyone else feel like running?” The guard asked everyone, 

No one answered. 

But then the man noticed Swift and I and his look softened. 

“Wait. Who are you two?” He asked us, 

I faced the guards again. My hood was still covering my face so they didn’t see my tears. 

“I…I am Fina of Cyrodiil.” I squeaked out, 

Then Swift bravely stepped forward as well. 

“And I am Nilson “Swift” of Riften…”

The Imperial guard looked down at the scroll and then back up at us. 

“You certainly wandered a bit far from Cyrodiil, Imperial.” He told me, then he turned his attention to Swift. 

“And you, not a very good way to be welcomed home, eh kinsman?” He then looked to his superior. 

“Captain, what do we do? They’re not on the list.” He said, 

“Forget the list! Send them to the block as well!” She said harshly, 

The man looked to us with a genuine look of apology. “I’m sorry. We’ll make sure your remains will be sent back to your families.” 

We both nodded and joined the other prisoners near the chopping block. General Tullius approached Jarl Ulfric. 

“Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen say you’re a hero, but a hero does not use a power like The Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne…”

Ulfric didn’t reply. He just glared daggers at the General. 

General Tullius kept going. “You started this war! Plunged Skyrim into chaos! But now, the Empire will finally put you down, end this war, and restore the peace!” 

But then, out of nowhere, we heard a loud roar. It echoed through the air. Everyone was looking around wondering where the roar came from. 

I looked up. It sounded like it was coming from the mountains.

“What was that?” One guard asked,

“It’s nothing.” Tullius replied, “Carry on.” 

“Yes General Tullius!” The female captain said saluting him as he passed her, 

A Priestess of Arkay was already standing there with us. The Captain of the guard looked at her. “Give them their final rights.” 

The robed woman raised her hands and started giving us our final rights.

“As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the eight Divines upon you.” 

But one of the Stormcloaks rudely cut her off. “For the love of Talos! Shut up! And let’s get this over with!” He snapped, 

The Priestess stopped and glared at him. 

“...As you wish…” She said coldly, 

The Captain of the guard brought the Stormcloak soldier over to the block. 

“Come on, let’s get a move on! I haven’t got all morning!” He yelled, 

The Captain pushed the man down with her foot so his head was resting on the block. 

“My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?” 

The Headsman raised his large axe high above his head and cut his head off in one fell swoop. His headless body fell to the ground. 

“You Imperial bastards!” One female soldier cried out, 

The man whom Ralof knew as Vilod and his wife, Ingrid, were rooting for the Imperials. 

“Justice!” Vilod screamed, 

“Death to the Stormcloaks!” His wife hollered, 

Ralof sighed. “As fearless in death as he was in life.” 

Then we heard another roar in the mountains. It sounded a lot closer this time. 

“Next, The Nord in the rags!” The Captain yelled pointing a finger at Swift. 

Swift’s eyes widened but then he let out a sad sigh and started walking towards the block. 

Suddenly I felt brave and stepped forward. 

“Wait!” I yelled out, 

All eyes were now on me. 

“He’s innocent. We both are. We were each just trying to cross the border to get home. Believe me, we’re not spies. But if you’re going to kill him, then you’ll have to kill me first.” I said boldly, on the inside, I was freaking out. I didn’t want to die, but I didn’t want Swift to die either. I had just met him, but I already knew that he was a good man. He was innocent like me. 

The Captain looked to General Tullius surprised. “Sir, is the Imperial asking to go first?” She asked him, 

He looked at me and then gave a sneer. “Hey, wastes less of my time! Step up to the block, Imperial!” He ordered, “Then the Nord can go right after you!” 

My heart sank that my brave efforts to save us were fruitless. I then felt my heart pounding in my chest as I got closer and closer to the chopping block. This was it. I was going to die. 

I finally reached the block and looked back at the crowd. Everyone was staring at me. They were all obviously in awe at my great sacrifice. I gave them all a sad smile. Although I hadn’t even knelt down to the ground yet, the headsman already had his axe at the ready. 

“Remove the hood,” General Tullius ordered, “I want to see the fear and anguish in this criminal’s eyes before we end her life.”

My eyes widened as the headsman grabbed a hold of my cowl. He was about to pull it off of my head when we were met with something that none of us could have ever imagined. 

Out of the blue a large scaly creature swooped in out of the sky and landed atop the tower. Everyone was taken aback in shock. I was shocked too. From the chopping block I had a really good view of the beast. It’s scales were dark blue like an endless night and looked rough to the touch. It’s cold eyes pierced through my soul making my body go cold. But that wasn’t the worst part…

...It was…

...The creature was a…

“Dragon!” The Captain yelled out, 

The whole city flew into a panic as the dragon let out a mighty shout. The force of the shout sent a few people flying back including myself. I landed hard on my bum but managed to get myself into a position where I was kneeling. 

Then in one breath, the dragon spouted out fire igniting the whole village of Helgen into a literal sea of flames and ashes. 

The Imperial guards started firing arrows at the dragon which didn’t seem to help much. The civilians and other prisoners ran for cover and left me kneeling there helplessly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ralof grab Swift’s arm and started leading him away. 

“Come on! We must get to the tower!” Ralof told him, 

Swift followed suit but then stopped and looked back at me. I just looked him in the eye as he pondered something over in his head. 

He ran over to me and helped me up the best he could with bound hands. I looked at him confused. 

“Wait, what?” 

Swift just smiled. “Come on, we’re going to get out of here.” 

“Why are you helping me?” I asked him, 

“It’s the least I can do. You stood up for me. You were willing to put your life on the line for mine, so now I’m going to save yours. Now come on!” 

We ran together following Ralof to the tower. Ulfric Stormcloak and some of their other soldiers were there as well. 

“My Jarl, could it be? Are the legends true?” Ralof asked him,

“Legends don’t burn down villages.” Ulfric replied, 

It was then that we heard the dragon let out another roar right outside. 

“We’d better get going.” Ralof said, 

We all made a dash up the mossy stone stairs when the dark dragon busted a huge hole into the side of the tower. Through the opening we saw the whole city still in chaos. Homes were being engulfed in flames and some of the guards were already burnt to a crisp. It was a very disturbing sight to see.

Swift and I looked at each other nervously when we heard Ralof behind us. 

“Jump! Go, get out of here! We’re right behind you!” He shouted, 

Suddenly my vision became a little blurry and I felt sick to my stomach. For me, heights were a _**BIG**_ no-no. But before I could even register what was happening, Swift grabbed ahold of my hand the best he could and jumped out the window dragging me down with him. I let out a loud scream but stopped once we landed inside a burning house. We fled and noticed the Imperial guard from earlier that tried to spare us from execution headed for one of the keeps. Both Swift and I decided to follow him. Suddenly Ralof was standing in his way. 

“We’re escaping, Hadvar! You won’t stop us!” Ralof yelled to the guard, 

The man known as Hadvar growled, “Fine, but I hope that dragon takes you and the rest of your traitor friends to Sovngarde!” 

Ralof fled with the rest of the Stormcloaks and Hadvar angrily turned in our direction. The moment he saw us, however, his look softened. 

“You two…” Was all he said, just as he said that, the dragon swooped down and almost nabbed us. We ducked to the ground and stood once again once he was back up in the air. Hadvar ran over to the keep’s door and opened it up. 

“Come on! Into the keep! Let’s move!” Hadvar yelled gesturing for us to come with him, 

Swift and I wasted no time and ran straight into the keep. 


	2. Chapter 2: Escaping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A.N: Hello everybody! Welcome back to the story. It's been a few weeks but I am back and ready to post more! :D I also would like to thank all the people who have favorited, followed, and said really nice things about my story so far. It means so much to me that you like it, and I can promise you there are plenty more chapters to come from this! ;)**  
>  So in the last chapter, we saw Alduin attack Helgen as the prologue goes. But now Fina, Swift, and Hadvar are trying to escape the keep with their lives. Will they make it out? I think we all know the answer ^^ But regardless, enjoy the chapter!

Swift, Hadvar, and I hustled into the keep like there was no tomorrow. We could hear the dragon still roaring it’s mighty roar outside. We weren’t going to take any chances. As soon as we were safe inside, Hadvar was nice enough to remove our bindings. 

“By the eight! Could it be!? Was that really one of the dragons, the bringers of the end times?” He asked us,

“Sure looked like a dragon. If not, then that was the ugliest and scaliest looking wolf that I’ve ever seen!” Swift joked, I chuckled lightly. 

“This is not a joking matter. If there really is a dragon on the loose, the results could be disastrous! Quick, grab some armor then we’ll get out of here.” 

We immediately started searching around the keep’s sleeping chambers for weapons and armor to get ourselves geared up in. 

I opened one of the chests and found some Imperial armor. I whistled over my shoulder. “Hey Swift!”

The auburn-haired Nord looked in my direction. 

“Heads up!” I tossed him the pieces of armor and he caught them without any problem. “Thanks. But wait, don’t you need some armor?” He asked me slightly concerned, 

I waved him off. “Nah, I’m good with this shield…” I then pulled a hide shield out of the chest as well. Swift nodded and then went off into a secluded corner to change. 

I then grabbed an iron sword from off of one of the racks. “And I’ll also have this sword!” Like a goofball, I proceeded to start swinging the sword around like I was some fierce warrior. “Take that! And that! You Stormcloak scum!” 

Hadvar laughed but stepped back a bit holding his hands up defensively. “Easy now, lass. Before you take someone’s eye out.” 

I let out a giggle as I placed the sword in its scabbard. “Sorry.”

Swift finally came out of the corner now fully dressed from head to toe in Imperial armor and wielding an iron sword and shield. 

“I’m ready.” Swift said, 

“Okay, let’s go.” Hadvar told us, 

The three of us dashed through the ancient, mossy stone hallways of the keep. It was so long and winding down there I was hoping that we wouldn’t accidentally get lost. The faint light of the torches lining the walls weren’t much help either. After a minute or two of running, we were stopped by a strange noise. Someone was in the next room. 

“That dragon’s tearing up the whole keep! We need to go!” A voice said, it was male. 

“Wait just a minute. I’m out of breath.” Another voice replied, this one was female and had that thick Nordic accent. 

“Stormcloaks,” Hadvar whispered, 

Swift began to unsheathe his sword but Hadvar put a hand on his wrist stopping him. “Wait, maybe we can reason with them.” 

Like mice we quietly walked into the room. The Stormcloak soldiers instantly took notice of us and immediately freaked out. 

“Imperials!” The woman yelled, 

“Whoa there. Take it easy now.” Hadvar said calmly, “Surely we can settle this like rational human beings.” 

In response the two soldiers whipped out their swords and axes. They charged towards us but we were ready for them. I didn’t actually kill anyone, but I did manage to stun the female Stormcloak by bashing her with my shield and while she was stunned Swift ran his iron sword right through her stomach. Hadvar single-handedly took care of the other guy. Of course after that we ran into a few more troubles along the way. Shortly afterwards, we ran into a few more Stormcloaks and then a huge colony of Frostbite Spiders. Following that we had to sneak our way past a sleeping bear. 

No doubt, this was quite a crazy day. After what felt like an eternity, we finally saw light. 

“That must be the way out.” Hadvar said, 

“Phew! Thank the Gods! It’s about time!” Swift commented,

“I thought we’d never get out.” Hadvar added,

We ran through the opening in the rocks only to be exposed to the bright sunlight. I squinted my eyes shut at the brightness and immediately tugged my hood down tighter so that the light would not get to me at all. 

“Quick! Get down!” Hadvar whisper-yelled, we did as we were told and ducked down with him behind a huge rock. In the distance we could see the large black dragon fly through the air and over the barrow up in the mountains. 

“Okay. I think he’s gone for now. Let’s get going before he comes back.” He straightened back up and started walking down the dirt path. 

Swift and I followed him confused. “Where are we going?” Swift asked him, 

“We’re heading down to Riverwood. My uncle is a blacksmith there. He’ll help us out for sure.” Hadvar replied, 

* * *

Most of the walk down to the small village was rather quiet. After today’s strange events, no one really knew what to say. 

I decided to be the one to break the silence. “So tell me, how in Oblivion is there a dragon flying around? I thought they were extinct!” 

“Yeah. As a boy my family told me tales about dragons and how they used to roam the world. But they said that dragons could never return. Not since the famed dragonslayers killed the last of them all those years ago.” Swift added,

“I’m not sure. That’s the thing that scares me the most. If dragons are returning, then we won't be able to stop them. Not if we can’t get down to the root of the problem...” Hadvar said, “Now I’m going to have to report this to the Imperial City. If the Stormcloaks have a dragon, then we’re going to need the help of General Tullius. He’ll know what to do.” Then he sighed helplessly. “It’s a sad state that our province is in. First the war, and now this. I don’t know how things could get any worse…” 

Swift and I looked at each other sadly. Neither of us said a word after that. 

* * *

The rest of the walk was short. We encountered some wolves along the way but they didn’t prove to be much trouble. Hadvar even collected their pelts to give to his uncle to turn them into leather. Finally we reached Riverwood. It was small and quaint. Seemed like a pretty nice place to settle down. I looked around in awe at everything. All the cozy looking homes, the happy children running around and playing. It kind of reminded me of my little village back in Cyrodiil. 

“Here we are. My uncle’s place.” Hadvar said, we approached the blacksmith’s home. The middle-aged man was hard at work smithing a steel sword. 

“Uncle Alvor.” Hadvar said walking up the steps. 

His uncle instantly noticed us and stopped his work. “Hadvar! Back so soon?” He then also took notice of how stressed and ragged we all looked. “Shor’s bones! What happened to you, boy!?”

“There was an attack at Helgen. A dragon! It burned up everything! I probably wouldn’t have made it out alive if not for these two.” Hadvar then gestured to us. I smiled and blushed from the attention and praised the gods that my hood was covering it up. Swift on the other hand just gave a goofy grin and waved. 

Hadvar’s uncle quirked a brow and folded his arms across his chest. “A dragon? What are you talking about, Hadvar? Are you drunk, boy?” 

“No, uncle. It really was a dragon. I’m telling you, these two saved my life.” The Imperial soldier replied, 

Uncle Alvor sighed, “Alright then. In that case, go inside and warm up. Sigrid will get you something to eat and you can tell us everything.” 

The three of us followed Uncle Alvor into the house where we were instantly greeted by a nice fire and some good food on the table. Alvor’s wife, Sigrid, and his daughter, Dorthe, were of course surprised yet delighted by our presence. 

“Sigrid, look who’s back from duty!” Alvor announced, 

“Hadvar! So good to see you dear!” His aunt said gleaming, 

Hadvar smiled sweetly. “Hello, Aunt Sigrid.” 

Dorthe ran up and hugged her cousin’s legs. “Hadvar!” She yelled out happily, 

The young Nord soldier chuckled and ruffled up her hair. “Hey there, Dorthe. How’s my favorite cousin?” 

The little girl giggled and swatted his hand away. “I’m your only cousin!” 

“That makes you the best.” He replied, 

“Who are these people, Hadvar? Friends of yours?” She asked, 

“Yes. They saved my life, in fact.” Hadvar replied, 

I nervously smiled and waved politely, “Hi there.” 

Swift waved as well. “Hey.” 

Alvor took a seat at the table and gestured for us to join him. “Come, sit.” We all listened and sat down at the table. 

“Now, tell us all about the dragon attack.” 

Sigrid’s eyes widened at the mention of this. “Dragon attack? You were attacked by a dragon?” 

“Yes. It was a disaster. The beast was huge. It breathed fire. You should have seen the town. There was ash and fire everywhere. I hope everyone else made it out okay.” Hadvar said grimly, his already pale Nord face blanched.

“Wow! A dragon!? You guys really saw a dragon!?” Dorthe said jumping up and down excitedly, 

Sigrid put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder to calm her down. “Dorthe, take it easy.” 

Alvor grinned, “Any friends of Hadvar’s are friends of ours. Thank you for saving our nephew.” 

Swift waved it off. “Ah, it was nothing.” 

“Yeah. He saved us, we just had to return the favor.” I said, 

“Still, please accept these gifts from us.” Alvor then handed us some gold along with a silver and ruby necklace and an iron dagger. 

“Oh no, we couldn’t.” Swift said, 

“I insist.” Alvor replied, 

We then took the items as not to be rude. “Thank you so much, sir.” I said, 

“Yes, thank you.” Swift immediately followed, 

“You saved my nephew. No thanks required.” Alvor replied, 

Hadvar piped up. “I’m going to report back to Solitude and tell them what happened. But we need a place to rest our heads first. Could you help us out with that?” He asked, 

“Of course.” Alvor said, then he looked to Swift and me. 

“I have a favor to ask of you.” 

“What is it?” Swift asked,

“If dragons are returning, then Riverwood could most definitely be in danger. I need you to go to Jarl Bulgruff of Whiterun and ask him to send reinforcements out here.” Alvor explained, 

Swift nodded. “Consider it done.” 

“Thank you. Both of you. I really mean it.” The older blacksmith then stood up from the table. “Well, I must resume my work. Make yourselves at home.” He then left the home and both Sigrid and Dorthe headed downstairs. Hadvar, Swift, and I sat in silence once again. Hadvar was the first one to speak up. 

“Listen, I’m really sorry that you two got caught up in everything. If it were up to me, I would have let you guys go.” He apologized,

We both smiled. “Don’t worry about it.” I said,

“Yeah. I’m just glad my handsome head is still on my shoulders.” Swift joked, earning a playful punch from me. 

Hadvar laughed heartily. Well, as far as I’m concerned. You both are cleared. Although I would keep a distance from Imperial Soldiers for a while.” 

“Got it.” Swift nodded,

“Say, would either of you consider joining the Imperial Army?” Hadvar asked,

“I’m no soldier.” I sheepishly replied, 

“Don’t be so modest, lass. You did good back there.” Hadvar complimented, honestly I didn't really do anything too heroic. Just used my shield for the most part. 

“Thanks, but I think I’ll just stick with my spells.” I said, 

“What about you, kinsman? Care to join our ranks?” Hadvar asked looking to Swift,

Swift shrugged, “Eh, I don’t know. Maybe. I’d have to think about it.” 

“Well, if you change your mind, head on up to Solitude.” Hadvar said, 

“Thank you. But for now, I should be getting to Whiterun.” Swift said getting up from the table, Hadvar nodded in response. 

Swift then headed for the door. Before he opened it, he turned back to face me. “Hey, you. You coming?” 

I looked up slightly surprised and baffled. “You...you want me to come along?” I asked, 

“Sure, why not?” Swift smiled warmly, 

Suddenly, a smile crept up on my face as well. He actually wanted my company. People usually didn’t want to hang around me much; and even if they did, it wouldn’t be for very long. So for Swift to offer me to go with him was actually a really nice change. 

I grabbed a few apples that were on my plate and stood up from the table as well. “Sure! Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **And there's Chapter 2! I hope you all liked it! Yeah, not much happened and it was kinda boring and I apologize for that. But in order to get to the good parts, we got to get through some of the boring and predictable parts. Don't worry, the story will get better as the chapters go on. But yeah, that's all I had to say. Once again, I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, and I will see you all next time. Bye guys! ;D**


	3. Chapter 3: Whiterun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hey everybody! Welcome back to the story! Before we begin, I just want to say thank you to all of the really nice people who have viewed my story so far! Thank you so much! It means a lot :) So in the last chapter, Fina and Swift escaped Helgen with Hadvar and are now heading for Whiterun. What will happen? Find out now! ;D**

We said goodbye to Hadvar and Dorthe and thanked both Alvor and Sigrid for their hospitality before we finally set off. The two of us exited Riverwood and crossed the stone bridge out of town. At this point, the sun was already high in the sky signifying that it was midday. 

I grumbled and pulled my cowl even more so over my face to keep the sun out of my face. 

“Ugh! How long is the walk to Whiterun?” I asked slightly complaining a bit, 

“Not far. Just a short trek.” Swift answered,

“Okay that’s good. That’s a good thing.” I said, after an awkward silence, I offered a red apple to Swift. “Here. You want one?” 

“Sure, thanks.” Swift took the apple from me and started crunching on the crisp fruit. 

“So, what’s Whiterun like?” I asked, 

“It’s nice. Warm, sunny, filled with friendly faces,” Swift said, “Not a bad place to settle down if you ask me.” 

_“Oh by the eight...Sunny?”_ I thought to myself, “Oh, okay. I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been there before.” I stoically replied pushing a strand of my light brown hair out of my face, 

“Trust me. You’ll love it.” Swift replied flashing another charming smile, 

We almost instantly came across a sign that was pointing in many different directions. 

“Which way is Whiterun?” I asked Swift, he looked at the numerous wooden arrows on the sign until he saw the arrow that read “Whiterun”. 

He pointed down the path to our right, “This way. Let’s go.” And off we went. As we walked I still was confused about why he brought me with him. It didn’t make any sense. But I decided to not question his kindness and just go along with it. 

A short while later we finally reached our destination. At this point it was almost dusk. Some small farms came into view. Even further than that there were great sturdy walls surrounding a peaceful looking village and a massive stone castle towered high above it all. 

“There it is. Come on.” Swift said, 

* * *

Finally we reached the city gates. The guards were hesitant about letting us in at first, but once we told them that we knew about the dragon, they immediately let us in. 

The guards opened the gates and we were instantly welcomed into the pretty city. Both Swift and I were completely taken by how the city looked. It was gorgeous! It was all like something out of an oil painting. The light of the setting sun reflected off the roofs of the shops and little homes bathing everything in a warm golden orange glow. The water that streamed throughout the town shimmered like gemstones in the light. It was positively stunning. 

I gasped in awe. “It’s beautiful!” I told Swift,

Swift nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty great. I’ve traveled here a lot on business as well.” As we kept walking towards the palace, we reached the marketplace. 

“This is ‘The Plains District’.” Swift explained, 

I quirked an eyebrow at him. “‘Plains District’?” 

“It’s what most people call the Marketplace. It is among one of the three districts in Whiterun.” He explained, “Those who set up shop here are mostly locals; but this place tends to get a lot of traveling traders from all over the province as well, such as myself.” 

I nodded and looked around some more. Despite it almost being dusk, there were still so many people walking around shopping and browsing as vendors shouted in their directions as they tried to push their wares onto them. 

“Fresh fruits and vegetables every day!...Mostly.” A Nord woman called, she looked young but also very tired. 

“Bits and baubles for sale, all crafted by the best blacksmith in Skyrim!” Another Nord woman hollered, she was more aged and had a grandmotherly feel to her. 

“The finest cuts, fresh from the wilds!” A Wood Elf said proudly displaying the game from his successful hunts, 

The two of us walked up some stone steps to what seemed liked a little villa. It was surrounded by more streams as well as a mighty stone arch that stood high above our heads ready to withstand the harshest weather that Skyrim had to offer. 

“This here is the ‘Wind District’. This is where the homes are.” Swift said, 

I nodded and looked around some more. To our left we saw more homes and to our right we saw a large building which, upon further observation, had an overturned Nord ship serve as the roof. In the center, stood a huge tree. But something was wrong. It was completely barren. No color or leaves whatsoever. It shared a lot of resemblance to that of a dormant tree in winter. This was especially puzzling since it was the seventeenth of Last Seed. The trees weren’t supposed to lose their leaves for another month or so. 

“Come on, we’re almost to the ‘Cloud District’. Dragonsreach. The Jarl’s Palace. It’s up this way.” Swift said heading up some more stone steps. I followed him up the numerous flights of stairs to the large wooden doors of the behemoth castle. The men standing guard there were much friendlier and less cautious than their fellows companions at the front gate and just let us in. 

The doors opened and we were met with a blast of warm air. The delicious smell of freshly baked bread loaves, cooked meats, and sweet wine delighted our senses. There was a large roaring fire at the center of the room and many of the castle’s residents and staff were seated at the table chatting amongst themselves and filling their stomachs with as much food as they could muster. 

Yep. This was the definite pinnacle of luxury. 

A female Dark Elf clad in leather armor noticed Swift and I come in and walked over to us. She pulled her sword out of her scabbard and pointed it at us. 

“What are you doing here? No one appears before the Jarl unannounced.” She demanded,

Swift could see that I was intimidated as the tip of her sword was aimed at my chest. He gently patted my hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this.” He whispered, then he spoke up. “Do not fear. We wish to speak with Jarl Balgruuf the Great for we have knowledge regarding the recent dragon incident at Helgen.” 

The Elf blinked once in surprise. “You know about the attack…?” She immediately sheathed her sword. “Come, the Jarl will most certainly want to hear this.”

She led us across the room towards the Jarl’s throne. Jarl Balgruuf sat proudly upon his throne. His steward stood at his right and a warrior in hide armor and warrior paint was to his left. 

The Dark Elf knelt down on one knee before the king. “My Jarl, these two peasants wish to have a word with you. They were at Helgen when the dragon attacked.” 

Jarl Balgruuf just raised his hand. “Thank you, Irileth.” He then motioned her to step off to the side. Irileth did as she was told and stood beside the Nord in armor. 

He then looked to us. “Go ahead. State your business here.” He said, 

Swift stepped forward and spoke up. “I am Nilson “Swift” of Riften, and this is Fina of Cyrodiil. We are here on behalf of the town of Riverwood. We were both at Helgen when the dragon attacked. It destroyed the whole town and then flew over Riverwood; and now it appears to be headed this way.”

Jarl Balgruuf’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “By the eight. So the rumors were true. A dragon is really out there. By Ysmir, Irileth was right!” 

“The people of Riverwood were hoping that you would send troops there.” Swift said, 

“He makes a good point, sir. If that dragon is lurking in the mountains, then the we will be in great peril.” Irileth cut in,

“Very well. Irileth, dispatch troops to Riverwood at once then rally up the guards. Should the dragon come, we’ll be ready for it.” Jarl Balgruuf said, 

Irileth placed her fist over her heart. “Yes, my lord.” Then she walked off to tend to her duties. 

Jarl Balgruuf turned back to face us. “You’ve done us a great service. You both sought me out on your own initiative and I won’t forget it.” 

“It was nothing.” I said, 

He then snapped his fingers and a servant brought out a steel armor top. “This is for you. It’s from my personal armory.” 

The servant handed the steel armor to Swift and he took it completely surprised. “Thank you, your highness.” He smiled and knelt down to the Jarl. 

Then another servant who was a young lady came out only she was bearing a bow and arrow. It looked like an ordinary hunting bow, but there was a bright green glow around it. 

“And this bow is for you, my dear.” He said, 

The servant handed me the bow and a quiver full of arrows. I turned the bow over in my fingers inspecting it closely. I knew from my time at the college that the bow was enchanted. But I couldn’t quite tell what spell had been casted upon it. 

“It’s a Bow of Torpor. Drains the life force from an opponent.” Balgruuf explained, “Very useful in combat.” 

“Thank you, my Jarl. I shall use it wisely in battle.” I said bowing as well, 

“You’re welcome.” Balgruuf said, “Now come, I believe that you can assist my Court Wizard, Farengar. He could really use your help.” He stood from his throne and walked over to a room to our right. We followed him into the room where the aforementioned wizard was leaning over a map on his desk. Even from under his hood I could tell that he looked rather stressed. 

Both Swift and I stood there in awkward silence until Balgruuf cleared his throat. “Farengar, I have brought you two people who would be very useful in assisting you with your little “project”. 

The wizard known as Farengar looked up from his work and instantly smiled. “Oh! Thank the eight! I was thinking this job would never get done!”

“Well then, I’ll let Farengar fill you in with all the details.” Balgruuf said, and with that, he left. 

“So the Jarl believes you can help me get what I need for my research.” Farengar told us, 

“Yep. What do you need us to do?” I asked, 

“Straight to the point. I like that.” Farengar replied, “It’s nothing major. I just need you to fetch me something.” Then he got a little nervous. “Well, when I say “fetch”, I really mean delve into an ancient Nord ruin to search for an artifact that may or may not actually be there.”

“What is it?” Swift asked, 

“A stone slab called “The Dragonstone”. It’s an ancient map of dragon burial sites. This stone could prove very useful to my work if the dragons really are returning. With it, we can tell where dragons will rise up next which can give us enough time to prepare for them or even defeat them.” Farengar explained,

Swift just clapped and rubbed his hands together. “Alright. Let’s do it. Where is it located?”

“It’s believed to be located in Bleak Falls Barrow. In the main chamber. All I ask is that you go into the barrow, retrieve the stone, and bring it back. Simplicity itself.” Farengar said, 

“I’ll do it.” Swift nodded, 

“Excellent!” Farengar exclaimed, 

Swift slipped the steel armor on and sheather his sword again. Then he looked at me. “Fina, you stay here.” He said seriously,

“Wait what!?” I said loudly, “I’m not going!?” 

“No. Just stay here.” Swift said, 

“Aww Swift! “Can’t I come too!?” I begged, “I survived Helgen! We both did! I can hold my own!” 

“No. I want you to stay here where it’s safe.” Swift told me, 

From underneath my cowl I gave him sad puppy dog eyes and a pouty lip. 

“Hey, I’ll be back soon. Just stay here with Farengar.” And with that, Swift turned and walked out of Dragonsreach. 

* * *

A few hours had gone by since Swift left. I was already starting to get worried. I just couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t let me go with him! I mean, it was just an old Nord ruin filled with frostbite spiders, draugers, and traps. Nothing I couldn’t handle!

I sat there in Farengar’s study just looking around bored. I drummed my fingers on his desk while the wizard was hunched over his work yet again. He was positioned at the arcane enchanter and was struggling to find an enchantment for the iron battle axe that was laid out on the table. He used his magical skills and carefully applied the soul gem to the weapon. But he frustratingly flipped through the pages of an old spell book to find the right enchantment. 

“Oh for the love of Julianos! Why can’t I find a good spell for this weapon!?” He grumbled to himself, 

Intrigued and still dying of boredom, I decided to try and help Farengar. I got up from my seat and walked over to the arcane enchanter and stood beside him. 

“Can’t find a spell?” I asked him, 

Farengar sighed helplessly, “I’m trying to enchant this warhammer to be extra effective in combat and quick to take down an enemy.” Then he sighed again. “It’s hopeless.” 

I tapped my chin in thought as I stared at the warhammer on the table. Then I gave my guess. “Well, we are in the coldest province in all of Tamriel. Most of the population is resistant to the cold so I wouldn’t recommend a frost spell. However, a powerful burning spell would be ideal.” 

“What do you mean?” Farengar asked me confused, 

“Like this.” I said, I then gently placed my hands on the weapon and focused my energy into the weapon. I had learned a few burning spells back at the college and decided to cast the strongest spell on the weapon. As soon as I did this, the weapon had an orange red glow around it. 

Farengar stared at the newly enchanted weapon in disbelief and then looked at me. I just smiled at him and said, “There you go. This warhammer should burn enemies a lot faster. Simple.” 

“What? Where did you learn that spell?” He asked me astonished, 

“I found it in some old book when I was at at College of Winterhold. I spent a lot of time in the library.” I replied, 

“Interesting.” Farengar said, 

“Yeah. It was all very interesting. Plus I liked how it was quiet in there.” I shrugged smiling,

“Well, surely a mage of your talents must still be widely accepted at the college.” Farengar said, 

My smile faded. “No, actually. I..kind of got kicked out.” I said rubbing my arm in embarrassment, 

“But you possess such great talent! Why would they expel you?” Farengar asked me confused, 

I sighed, “Well...You see…”

“I’m back!” A familiar voice called from behind me, 

Both Farengar and I turned to see Swift standing there looking somewhat exhausted. He was slightly bruised and his auburn hair was a mess. 

Both of our eyes widened at the sight of him. “Whoa. What happened to you?” I asked him, 

“I got into a little scuffle with a Draugen Overlord. But I made it.” Swift said grinning one of his cheesy grins, 

“Was it there? Were you able to find the Dragonstone?” Farengar asked curiously, 

Swift held the large etched stone tablet out to him. “Here you go.” He said, 

“Ah yes! Thank you so much, good sir! Now my true work begins…” Fargengar took the tablet from Swift and laid it out on his desk to start studying it. We stood there for a moment before Irileth came running in panting. 

“Farengar, we need you! A dragon has been spotted nearby! We need to stop it!” She said, then she looked over at Swift and me. 

“You both should come too…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Holy crap! The dragon is here! Will our dynamic duo be able to take it down? Find out in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: Dragonborn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A.N: Hey everyone! Welcome back to the story! Sorry this chapter took so long to dish out. When it comes to writing, huge fights and battles are not particularly my strong suit, but I did my best here. And with this story, I hope to get somewhat better at it 🙂**
> 
> **So in the last chapter, we saw Fina and Swift arrive at Whiterun where they were immediately welcomed by Jarl Balgruuf. Swift was able to retrieve the Dragonstone no problem but then Irileth came in and told them a dragon was coming. Now they have to help her battle the dragon and slay it before any harm can come to the city. How will that go? Find out now!**

Both Swift and I raced out of Dragonsreach towards the front gates of Whiterun. At this point, the two moons were at the peak of the sky signifying that it was around the middle of the night. After Irileth told us of the impending dragon attack, we were taken to be briefed by the Jarl. We were all given instruction to go and slay the beast. Farengar had to stay behind, however. Irileth was running not so far in front of us as we bounded down the many flights of stone steps to the Wind District. It wasn’t long before we were finally standing at the gates with the other Whiterun soldiers. 

Irileth came running down the stairs by _The Drunken Huntsman_. 

“Oh boy. We’re in for it now.” I heard one of the guards murmur under their breath,

“Alright men. Here’s the lowdown about what’s happening. A dragon is attacking the Western Watchtower and is heading for Whiterun.” She said, 

The guards all suddenly looked super startled and began talking amongst themselves. 

“A dragon? Did she say a dragon?” One said, 

“Oh damn. We’re all screwed.” Another one said, 

“What are we going to do?” 

I gently nudged Swift’s shoulder. He looked at me. 

“Are we really about to help them fight a dragon?” I asked him, 

“ _I’m_ going to help them fight a dragon. _You_ are staying here.” He told me,

“Oh no! I am not going to sit another fight out! I can’t stand it!” I said, 

“Fina, I don’t know…” Swift said unsurely, “I just don’t want you getting hurt.” 

“Trust me, Swift. I can hold my own just fine! I’m coming no matter what you say.” I rebutted folding my arms across my chest, 

Swift was about to object when Irileth placed a hand on his shoulder.

“If she‘s willing to fight, let her come. We’ll need all the help we can get.” The Dunmer said, 

I smirked as Swift heaved a defeated sigh, 

“Oh for the love of Mara! Alright, you win.” Swift said, 

“I thought so.” I replied smugly folding my arms across my chest, 

Irileth then turned to the rest of the guards. “Now, as for the rest of you, can you even call yourselves Nords if you run away from this monster? Will you let me face it alone?” She asked seriously, 

“No, Housecarl.” They all said together, 

“Good. Then we’re all in this together. We’ll take down this dragon. The first dragon we’ve seen in Skyrim since the last age! The glory of killing it is ours! Are you all with me!?” Irileth finished raising her fist in the air, 

“YEAH!” The guards all held their weapons high in support. 

“You bet we will!” Swift shouted also pointing his sword towards the sky, 

“Absolutely!” I joined in, 

“Alright then! Let’s go slay us a dragon!” Irileth shouted, 

* * *

Swift and I stormed through the city gates with Irileth and her army and we headed westward for the watchtower. By the time we all got to the tower, we were surprised to find the large stone structure completely in ruin bathed in flames. 

“Hm, there’s no sign of a dragon, but it sure looks like he’s been here.” Irileth muttered, 

“Holy cow...Did the dragon really cause all this?” Swift asked astonished, 

“I know it looks bad, but we need to check for survivors and see if it’s really gone.” Irileth told us, she pulled out her sword. 

One guard started to freak out. “By the eight...Everything’s destroyed, there's nothing left...WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!” 

The Dark Elf turned around and smacked that guy upside the head. “Get ahold of yourself, soldier! Are you going to be a man and make your ancestors proud by killing this thing? Or will you shame them by being a poncy little milk drinker!” She looked to the rest of us, “I’m just as scared as all of you, but we are past the point of no return here. We have to kill this beast before it destroys everything we care about. Let’s move.” 

The whole group cautiously approached the watchtower. The closer we got, the more the damage became visible. What happened there was nothing short of a travesty. Suddenly a guard came running out of the ruined building trying to catch his breath. 

“No! You all have to leave! It’s not safe here!” One of them yelled, 

“What happened!?” Irileth demanded, 

“The dragon just swooped in and destroyed everything! It just made off with Hroki and Tor!” The guard replied, 

“Where did the dragon fly off to?” Irileth asked, 

“It’s still here somewhere. That’s why we need to go!” The guard explained, 

Out of the blue we heard a really loud roar. It echoed through the near mountainside. We all looked towards the noise to see a white and grey dragon flying in our direction. 

“Kynareth help us! Here he comes again!” The guard yelled, 

“Quickly! Let’s shoot that thing out of the sky!” Irileth ordered, 

We all got into position ready to fight. Swift pulled out his sword while I withdrew my new bow and an arrow from my quiver. I positioned it with the bow and pulled the bow string back some and aimed. 

The huge monster immediately swooped down attempting to snatch us up but we all ducked down. Swift swung his sword at the dragon managing to make a slight gash in its wing. The large scaly creature let out another painful roar and flew upward into the sky. I straightened back up and Swift looked at me wide-eyed. 

“That was a close one.” I said, 

He nodded. 

Irileth shot a few arrows at the beast causing it to let out a couple more roars in pain. I seized the opportunity and began firing arrows like crazy as well. Then Swift and the rest of the guards joined in. The dragon roared and thrashed around in the air as we continued attacking. Irileth and a few of the guards ran closer towards the tower still rapidly firing at the monster. As arrows flew through the air and the dragon was getting weaker and weaker with every hit. 

“Back to Oblivion with you!” One guard yelled, 

“Why won’t this thing just die!” Another complained, 

A few more minutes of fighting passed before the dragon became too weak to fly steadily. It landed on top of the tower causing the whole ground to rumble and shake. So much so that parts of the crumbling tower fell. Large chunks of stone came tumbling down towards Irileth and the guards.

“Everyone get out of the way!” Irileth called out to her men. All of the Whiterun guards ran back. But before Irileth could run to safety, one stone chunk fell right on top of the Housecarl pinning her to the ground. 

“Agh! I’m trapped!” She cried out. Swift and the Whiterun guards immediately ran over to help her. I stared at them wide-eyed as they all struggled to pull the stone off of the Dunmer. They were so busy helping Irileth that they didn’t notice that the dragon, still perched atop the ruined tower, was attempting to use the last of its strength to breathe fire at them. I was the only one that noticed this. I gasped in horror. The dragon, it was going to burn them alive! I immediately ran towards the group. 

“Look out!” I yelled, 

They all stopped and looked at me confused. They then looked up towards the dragon just as the large lizard monster aimed at them and breathed in deeply before exhaling. Flames poured from its mouth flying in their direction. Swift, the guards, and Irileth all gasped and cowered in fear bracing themselves to be burned alive. But just before the flames could hit them, I ran in front of them and casted a huge ward to shield us all from the flames. Swift and the rest of the guards managed to remove the rubble and helped up Irileth then they all looked at me in surprise as I held off the flames. I struggled with all of my might to concentrate and keep the ward up as the dragon continued its attempt to completely roast us like legs of goat or pheasant breasts. Finally, the dragon became super exhausted and ceased its fire breath. It glared down at us with it’s cold and empty eyes. It decided to try one more attack. The dragon weakly flew up and made a dip back towards the ground coming right at us. 

We just stood there frozen in fear. But then Swift bravely stepped up and charged forward. 

“You fool! What are you doing!?” Irileth yelled after him. 

Swift didn’t listen to her. He unsheathed his sword and got into a good fighting stance. He glared at the dragon as it sped toward him. Then in a true act of heroism, Swift swung his sword and slashed right through the monster’s belly leaving a mortal wound that just bled out. 

The dragon let out one last loud roar in agony. The roar was so loud that we all had to cover our ears. Finally, the dragon died and crashed hard into the ground causing the ground to shake once more and for a huge cloud of dirt to fly up. Once the dust finally settled, Irileth looked back to her men. 

“Come on, let’s go see if this overgrown lizard is really dead.” She said, 

We all ran towards where the dragon crashed. Swift was still standing there and placed the sword back in its scabbard. I hurried over to him. My eyes were wide and I was trying desperately to catch my breath. 

“Are you alright!?” I asked worried, 

The young Nord smiled at me and said, “I’m fine.” 

But then something peculiar happened. The dragon started to burn up. Its scales and skin completely went up in flames leaving only the skeleton behind. 

“Everybody get back!” Irileth ordered, 

We all ran back with the exception of Swift. He just stood there completely mesmerized at what was happening right in front of him. Suddenly, things got even more strange. Bright streams of light and some sort of magical energy flew from the dragon and straight into Swift. 

“Whoa! What’s going on!?” He asked concernedly, when all of the energy flew into his body, he glowed for a split second before finally returning to normal. He looked down at his hands as this was happening and then up at the rest of us who were all wide-eyed in disbelief. 

“Can someone tell me what in Oblivion just happened!?” Was all he said, 

The guards and I all walked over to him while Irileth walked over to the dragon’s skeleton. One of the guards spoke up. 

“I can’t believe it! You’re...Dragonborn…” He told Swift, 

I gave a shocked sigh as Swift just stood there super confused and concerned.

“Excuse me?” Swift said, 

“What’s a...Dragonborn?” I asked, despite being pretty well-versed in Tamriel’s history, I had never heard this term before.

Then another guard spoke up. “You’ve never heard of the Dragonborn, Imperial? My grandfather used to tell me stories of the Dragonborn. Legend has it that those who are Dragonborn are born with the dragon blood and have the innate ability to absorb a dead dragon’s power.” 

“Are you saying that the energy that just flew into Swift was that dragon’s soul?” I asked quirking an eyebrow,

The guard looked at me and nodded. “Correct. The Dragonborn also has the ability to shout. The way the dragons do.” 

Swift suddenly stepped forward with a hand on his hip and pinching his temple. “Wait wait wait. Now just hold on a second! There..There has to be some logical explanation for all of this. I mean, I’ve heard the tales growing up same as all of you. Dragonborns haven’t existed for centuries. Not since the days of Tiber Septim. There’s absolutely **_NO_ ** proof that I could possibly be one.” 

“What else could it be!? You literally just absorbed the dragon’s life force after it died! It HAS to be you!” The first guard said, 

“Only one way to know for sure. Try shouting! That should prove it!” The second guard said,

Swift didn’t say anything for a minute. Finally he let out a defeated sigh. 

“Alright, alright. I’ll try. But I don’t know what good it’ll do…” He said, he turned away from us. He hesitated and looked over his shoulder at us before looking up towards the sky and let out a shout. 

**“Fus!”** He yelled, a huge forceful blast flew through the air making the ground shake. His voice was so much louder. We were all taken aback. 

“There! That was a shout! You are the Dragonborn! The ultimate dragonslayer!” The guard astonished, I was also very surprised as well. 

At this point Swift believed what the guards told him. That he really was a Dragonborn. He just stood there wide-eyed at what he had just done. 

“...By the eight...Did I actually do that?” He said quietly, I silently walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. 

Then the Whiterun guards looked over to Irileth who was still inspecting the dragon’s skeleton. 

“What say you, Irileth? You’ve been quiet about this.” One guard asked,

The Dark Elf huffed. “I think you all should think twice and keep your mouths shut instead of flapping your gums on matters you don’t understand.” She then gestured to the large reptilian skeleton. “Here’s a dead dragon; that’s all I can understand. Now we know we can kill them…” Then she walked over to where Swift and I were. 

“Regardless of this ‘Dragonborn’ business, I’m glad you both were on our side. My men and I wouldn’t still be standing here without you.” Irileth said, 

“We were glad to help.” I smiled, 

“Yeah, it was the least we could do.” Swift said nodding, 

Irileth gave a nod and started to walk back towards the hold. “I’m heading back to Whiterun. You should both probably get back there as well. Jarl Balgruuf will most certainly like to thank you for your assistance…” 

Swift and I headed back as well. The rest of the guards decided to stay back and try to salvage what they could from the destroyed watchtower. It wasn’t that long of a walk back to Whiterun. The moonlight shining down on everything made the distant kingdom and the surrounding grassy plains glow. The Luna Mothwings floating and the light breeze in the air only added to the peacefulness.

* * *

Neither Swift nor I said much during the short walk. It quickly became rather unnerving. I wanted to say something to Swift but I was hesitant. I could tell that he was still kind of in shock knowing that he was a legendary Dragonborn. So I decided to stay off that subject and instead talk about our victory. 

“Wow! I can’t believe we actually took down a dragon! That was amazing!” I said ecstatically, 

Swift just smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I can’t believe it either.” He said, “You were really brave.” He said,

I smiled as well. “Thanks. You were really brave too.” 

“Thanks.” Swift replied, 

“We make a pretty good team.” I said, 

The auburn-haired Nord nodded again. “I think so too. Guess I picked the right person to travel with.” He patted me on the back. 

I chuckled, “Hehe...Yeah…” 

We were about to reach the stables when out of nowhere the ground began to shake horribly again. The magnitude was so great that we nearly lost our footing. 

“What’s happening!? Is it an earthquake!?” I said super scared, 

“I don’t know.” Swift replied, 

“You think it could be another dragon!?” I asked him, 

“I sure hope not.” Swift replied again, 

Nothing could have prepared us for what happened next. A loud crashing boom comparable to thunder roared throughout the sky. Then there were loud voices shouting. 

**_“DOVAHKIIN!!!”_ **

There was another loud rumble and then everything went quiet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **That's right, everybody! Swift is the Dragonborn! And also the Greybeards are here! Now that they have been summoned, what will be Swift and Fina's next move? Find out in the next chapter! Bye! 😜**

**Author's Note:**

> **And there you have it. The first chapter. I know it's basically just the same beginning of the game that we all know, but trust me, things will get better as we go along. In order for this story to progress I had to do this prologue. So I apologize if that's disappointing. But trust me, within the next few chapters things will pick up :)  
> **   
>  **Anyways, I'll see y'all next time! ;D**


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